The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-17

"hOh hO OCSdu W Sulu0 up 10 her.
s'pose she thought he was sweeter nor
honey. Anyway, she married him, and
don't reckon she's seen many happy days
sence. Women is foolsl Fools. L sayp'
Maria Jane made such violent ges-
ture that the peas fell out of her lap and
rolled over the floor. Max rose slowly
from under the bed and casually ate all
the peas he could find.
"Most everybody blsmes Randy, of
course. They say there never was pleas
anter man to git along with than Mr..
Rankin. There's only few as has kind
OF sense of what he really is. Wall, what
ever he is, he's got to furl his sails now
for L do believe, as said, that the Lords
goin to take him. He's sick, and Randy,
soon's she heard of it, which was night
before last, has gone over to nuss him.
She's with fifty of him, l say"
Evidently we should not spend the day
at present with Mrs. Rankin.
The story that Mrs. Yates had told kept
In our minds. The next afternoon an
least turn" came up, SO that it was really
cold sitting out in front. We started out
for a walk along the cliff road, which
winds along above the sea and close to it.
Carriages we're whirling by us and the
dust flew. By this time we knew Just
where we're the different routes of the
public vehicles. charges" they call them
here. We suddenly decided to take
barge" which went within quarter of
mile of that school-house where the
Rankins were.
AlIghting, we walked through small
patch OF sweet fern that sent up to us it's
odor OF wild and rocky pastures. We
were on hill, and the ocean, gray and
misty in its east turn, was before u.s.
There was the building we sought, alone,
its old red paint nearly worn off, it's whole
aspect desolate.
Now that we were here we suddenly
felt that we might be intruding. We sat
down in a bed of sweet fern-"sweet
fern" they call it here, and the boys
sometimes dry its leaves and make cigars
of them.
Presently we heard as ound at the door
and, looking, saw the gaunt form of Ran.
dy Rankin standing there. Her face was
turned away from us and toward the wa
ter. Her dark bingham gown hung
straight down. She had her hands clasped
tightly before her, and she suddenly
flung them upward. There was not a
house in sight-a fog was setting fast
over everything.
Turning to go back into the house, she
saw us and started. Then she recognized
us. We rose and she stepped out in the
tall grass about the old fiat stepstone.
"Pm mighty glad you've come" she
said, hoarsely. 81 didn't dare leave him,
and L did wish somebody was here"
Her scraggy face was perfectly pallid.
She had not slept since she came to the
place.
Chow is hep" we whispered.
"He's goin' fast. 1 don't expect he'll
last more'n to the turnin' OF the tide, and
that's at eighteen minutes past tonight,
I've just ben lookin' into his almanac
to find out; it's comm in quick, amt it :?
just listen"
We did not need to listen. The roar of
water dashing over rocks, sucking up
through chasms, and pounding on lodges
was plain enough to hear. 1t was now
nearly 6 o'clock.
He amt known me sence the first
halliday was here. Then he told me he
was much obleeged to me for comm and
twas more'n he expected. I'd knows I've
done right a-separatin' from him."
She looked off again to the ocean.
Then she cried out piercingly, "But God
knows | couldn't help it He knows /
sh'd have to do the same thing over again!
I should! 1 should!" She struck her
hands together. Her hollow eyes famed.
She was remembering her life with the
man who was dying.
Hush!' we said.
My friend put her hand on the woman's
clasped bony fingers.
She felt the touch and looked down on
Carlos, her gaze softening in strange,
sudden way that dimmed my eyes. 1t
was almost as though she had never felt
touch SO gentle and SO kind.
"Come in," she said moment after.
in faint voice.
And we went in. We knew that we
should not leave her again that night.
Ii was the most lonesome room had
ever seen. The desks had been removed,
bat the floor remained as it had been in
the old time, when a country school
house floor was made slanting from the
back of the building down to the front
where the teachers desk was placed on a
platform about six inches high. This
platform was still there, and on this, as
the only level place, Mr.. Rankin had his
bed, which was a substantial four-posted
one.
The windows were high and small. Mr..
Rankin had evidently disposed of a good
deal OF his first wife's furniture, which he
had taken when the separation occurred
between him and his present wife.
The cook stove was rusted irreparably,
which is thing which happens quickly
here by the salt water. On top of it was
small kerosene-lamp stove, whose fame
was heating something in tin dish cov-
cred with blue saucer. There were
three chairs of black walnut and hair